Company Editor

"iheartmedia": {
    "names": [
        "iHeartMedia",
        "iHeartMedia, Inc.",
        "CC Media Holdings, Inc.",
        "CC Media Holdings",
        "Clear Channel",
        "IHRT"
    ],
    "comment": "iHeartMedia is a U.S. media conglomerate that has forced musicians to work without pay [1][2], illegally gifted services to Republican politicians [3], and engaged in deceptive advertising [4]. The company has also demonstrated poor crisis management with a lack of local staff during emergencies [5], refused to air adverts containing same‑sex couples [6][7][8], and censored political music critical of the Iraq war [9][10].",
    "sources": {
        "1": "https://www.yahoo.com/news/fcc-probes-iheartmedia-following-accusations-030411548.html",
        "2": "https://www.newsweek.com/trump-official-investigating-iheartmedia-allegedly-forcing-musicians-work-no-pay-2036724",
        "3": "https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacheverson/2022/12/01/ted-cruzs-podcast-deal-with-iheartmedia-may-violate-ethics-laws-watchdog-says-in-new-complaint/",
        "4": "https://natlawreview.com/article/google-iheartmedia-pay-94-million-to-settle-ftc-and-state-allegations-deceptive",
        "5": "https://web.archive.org/web/20101206055034/http://www.democracynow.org/2007/1/25/exclusive_911_calls_in_north_dakota",
        "6": "http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=133980&catid=8",
        "7": "https://www.glaad.org/2010/calltoaction/clearchannel",
        "8": "http://banbillboardblight.org/clear-channel-wont-allow-gay-pride-images-on-billboards/",
        "9": "https://web.archive.org/web/20111010015435/http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2003/03/17/daily14.html",
        "10": "https://web.archive.org/web/20120716180633/http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-08-20-bush-ad_x.htm"
    },
    "sourceNotes": {
        "1": "forced musicisns to work without pay",
        "2": "forced musicisns to work without pay",
        "3": "illegally gifted services to republican politicians",
        "4": "deceptive advertising",
        "5": "Lack of local staff leading to failed emergency response",
        "6": "refused to show adverts containing same-sex couples",
        "7": "refused to show adverts containing same-sex couples",
        "8": "refused to show adverts containing same-sex couples",
        "9": "censored political music and criticism of the war in iraq",
        "10": "censored political music and criticism of the war in iraq"
    },
    "tags": [
        "media"
    ],
    "score": 40,
    "ownedBy": [],
    "logoUrl": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/IHeartMedia_Logo.svg/120px-IHeartMedia_Logo.svg.png",
    "siteUrl": "https://www.iheartmedia.com/",
    "updatedAt": "2026-02-14T18:31:31.978Z"
},